Ladder-hook.



No. 535,545. Patented lune 4, |901.

J. D. HA H.

LAD H' Y (Application l Jin. ,l 1.) Ulu Modal.)

llrviTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB D. HATCH, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJOSEPH J. VINCENT, OFSAME PLACE.

LADDERwHOOK.

SEGKLTIUAEION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,545, dated J' une4, 1901. Application filed January 8, 1901. Serial No. 42,492. (Nomodel.)

T @ZZ whom, Z may concern:

Beit known that I, JACOB D. HATCH, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLadder-Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art 1o to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to ladderhooks.

The object of the present invention is to I5 construct a laddenhookwhich maybe folded into the plane of the ladder when not in use.

To the above end the present invention consists in the ladder-hookhereinafter to be described and claimed.

2o In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a top planview of a ladder provided with my improved hooks, the support for onehook being shown in section. The normal or folded position of the hooksis indicated in full lines and the operative position in dotted lines.Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. l, looking toward the left.Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. l, looking in the directionofthe arrow;

3o and Fig. 4 is another sectional view on line 4t et, Fig. l, lookingin the direction of the arrow.

In the drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, act are the uprights or side rails of a ladder, and b a rung thereof.Firmlysecnred to the inside of the rails a by means of the screws c arethe ladder-hook supports, which comprise a base (Z, from which the earse and e are rigidly projected. These ears are provided with bearings f,in which the shank g of the hook h is rotatably and slidingly mounted.Fixedly secured to the end of the shank g by means of the pinj is thesquare block Zt, which normallyengages the flanges Z Z on the ear e andpositively prevents rotation of the hook in its bearings. A coiledspring m, engaging at one end the ear c and at the other the stopblocka, secured to the shank g by means of 5o the pin o, acts normally tohold the hook in its advanced position, as shown in the draw ings, withthe square block 7c between the flanges Z of the ear e. The hook may beturned, however, by first moving it longitudinally in its bearingsagainst the tension of spring m until the block 7i; is clear of theflanges Z. Upon releasing the hook after it has been turned the spring mwill immediately move the hook longitudinally, carrying the block 7cbetween the flanges Z, which, as 6o shown in Fig. 2, are flaring, sothat the block 7c will not catch on them if the hook should be turnedthrough a little less than a right angle.

My improved ladder-hook is especially useful on firemens ladders, and inorder to avoid all possibility of mistake at night or during theexcitement of a lire and turning of the hook in the wrong direction orthrough more than a right angle I have so shaped the stop- 7o block nthat it will engage the raised portion d of the base d in the mannershown in Fig.

3. W'hen the block 7c is clear of the flanges l, this stop-block willstill engage the raised portion CZ and will prevent the hook. beingturned in the wrong direction. After it has been turned in the rightdirection, however, through a right angle the stop-block a will be inthe position shown in Fig. 3 in dotted outline and will thus preventfurther turning 8o of the hook.

The operation of my device is as follows: Assuming the hook to be in itsfolded or normal position, it is moved longitudinally in its bearingsagainst the tension of the spring, turned in whichever direction it willturn and as far as it will turn, and then released, when the spring willimmediately carry it forward, the block 7c engaging the flanges Z andpositively preventing rotation of the hook in its 9o advanced position.The hook is folded down into its inoperative position by the reversecycle of operations.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to construct a ladder-hook whichmust be moved longitudinally in its bearings before it may be turnedfrom inoperative into operative po'- sition, and vice versa; but so faras I know the prior art I am the first to provide such a hook with astop-block which shall positively roo tatably mounted in said bearings,means positively preventing rotation ot the h ook through more than aright angle, and independent means acting normally to positively preventall rotation of the hook inits bearings, substantially as described.

2. A ladder-hook, having, in combination, a support provided withbearings, a hook rotatably and slidingly mountedY in saidv bearings,means positively prevent-ingrotation-of the hook through morev than aright angle, means acting normally to move the hook longitudinallyin itsbearings inthe direction in which it tends tomove-When under strain, andmeans positively preventing rotation ot the hoolc when i-t has beenmovedlongitudinallywi'nx saidl direction, substantially as described.

3. A ladder-hook, having, incombi'nation, a support, bearings in thesame, a hook provided' with a shank rotatably and slidingly mounted insaid bearings, means' positively preventingfrotationot the hook throughmore than a= right angle, a'V square block lixed'ly securedi to saidshank, means engaged by said bloc-k when the-hook has been movedlongitudinally in the= direction in which it tends tomovewhenl understrain to positively prevent rotation of the hook in itsbea-rings, and

disengagedy by said block When the'hool; has been movedlongitudinallyinthe-opposite direction to permit rotationof the hook in its bearings,substantially as described.

4E. A ladder-hook, having, in combination, a base,ears projectedtherefrom and provided IWitll bearings, one of said ears having sideiianges, a hook provided with a shank rotatably and slidingly mounted insaid bearings, a stop-block mounted on said shank and positivelypreventing rotation through more than a right angle, a square blockmounted on said shank and arranged to engage said iianges when the hookhas been moved longitudinally vin the direction in which it tends tomove *When under strain to positively prevent rotation of the hook initsbearing's, andarranged `to disengage said fianges When the hook istion to permit rotation of the hookl in its bearings, and aspring actingnormally to move the hook inthe former direction', sul stantially asdescribed.

5. A ladder-hook, having, in combination,

' ings and means positively preventing all rotation of the hook when ithas been moved longitudinally in the direction in which it tends to movewhen under strain, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereo I a'x my signature in presence of two Witnesses;

JACOBv D; HATCH; W'itnesses:

FRED O; FISH,

ALFRED Il. lIfiLDnEr'H.

moved longitudinally in the opposite-direc-V `a support provided withbearings, ahook ro-A tatably and slidingly mounted in said bear

